US Strikes Scud Sites After New Iraqi Attacks

ByUnited Press InternationalFebruary 4, 1991

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA
— United States-led coalition pilots in the Gulf attacked three Iraqi mobile Scud missile launching sites used in weekend attacks, and reported seeing explosions at one yesterday, according to the United States Central Command in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The Central Command reported Sunday: ``Counter-Scud patrols were on station throughout the night. Although these patrols did not preempt the three Scud attacks, they were still able to attack two of the three launch sites. Pilots reported seeing explosions at one of those sites.''

Iraqis fire Scuds at Israel, Saudi Arabia

Iraq launched two missiles into central Israel late Saturday and early Sunday. Another Scud was fired at Riyadh early yesterday. All the Scuds carried conventional warheads.

The Scud fired at Saudi Arabia was intercepted by a US Patriot air-defense missile, the US Central Command said. But Saudi officials said debris from the intercepted missile injured 29 people in a residential area north of Riyadh.

Chief military spokesman Nachman Shai said only slight damage and no injuries were reported from the two Scud missiles launched at Israel Saturday. He would not specify where the missiles hit.

Coalition controls air and land

Coalition forces Saturday declared control in the air and at sea in the Gulf war, but US officials reported two more US planes shot down by Iraqi surface-to-air missiles.

Although Iraqi war planes made no challenge to coalition air attacks, an Air Force A-10 Warthog attack aircraft and a Navy A-6 Intruder bomber were shot down by surface fire, said US Central Command chief of staff, Maj. Gen. Robert Johnston.

A spokesman at the US Central Command said early Saturday that since allied forces recaptured Khafji Thursday, there had been relatively little activity and only ``minor skirmishes'' between opposing ground troops along the border.

The spokesman said there also was no evidence to support earlier reports of massive Iraqi troop buildups along the Kuwait-Saudi border.